LADA Sport is placing all bets on the final round of the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in Macau as, in one final roll of the dice for the outgoing Granta, the Russian team targets race wins and podium finishes (14-16 November).
This is the WTCC’s tenth consecutive visit to the majestic Far Eastern city and the Macau Grand Prix remains a glittering highlight of the international motorsport calendar.
After fighting hard on the cusp of the top ten on China’s ultra-modern Shanghai International Circuit and Japan’s history-rich Suzuka Circuit, the ambitious LADA Sport team is fully focused on the WTCC’s highly-anticipated grand finale on the streets of Macau.
The Russian squad has arrived at Circuito da Guia in a determined frame of mind and regards the Macau Grand Prix event as its best chance of boosting its trophy collection because, not only do Rob Huff’s six wins mean he holds the record as the most successful driver on the perilous city track, but James Thompson came agonisingly close to achieving LADA Sport’s maiden podium finish there in 2013.
LADA Sport will also bid a final farewell to the LADA Granta, as it prepares for the dawn of a fresh chapter with the brand new Vesta model and prestigious backing from the ROSNEFT petroleum company in 2015.
The Russian manufacturer outfit has reached many significant milestones while running the Granta, sensationally breaking its podium finishes duck on Argentine soil before becoming an outright WTCC race winner at Beijing’s Goldenport Park Circuit in October, and duly hopes to give its outgoing challenger a fitting send-off by emulating those successes on Circuito da Guia’s narrow confines.
Macau maestro Huff, said: ““I’m really proud of my record in Macau and it would be mega to bolster that with more race wins this year, as my LADA Sport team has a taste for victory after Beijing and it would be a great to give the Granta a bit of a send-off. I always look forward to returning to Macau and I adore the Circuito da Guia. It’s the longest track we visit and can never be underestimated. It’s absolutely fantastic and, while we might struggle through sector one of the lap, our chassis’ mechanical grip should suit the middle and last sections of the lap. The walls are never far away and the weather is known for being unpredictable so there’s little margin for error; you need your wits about you and it’s all about precision. We have achieved far more this year than we ever believed, so there are high hopes and expectations for next year.”
Thompson said: “Macau is one of my favourite tracks. I think qualifying will be key factor here as there aren’t many places where you can overtake. Actually, you can do that only at the first sector. The team has come to the final round in a very good shape, and the LADA Granta can be competitive here. We were much closer to the pace that expected at the previous race in Japan, so there are many positives to take to Macau. We spent the second race in Suzuka hanging on the coattails of the guys who finished at the top in race one and this highlights the improvements made to the LADA Granta Sport. The truth is, our focus has always been on Macau, as we see this as our most realistic chance of taking a result. Both Rob (Huff) and I like it there and I was on course for a podium finish last year until I was involved in an incident with Pepe Oriola. We’ve always had one eye on the season finale.”
Young Russian Mikhail Kozlovskiy, added: “Last year in Macau I mainly concentrated on learning the main characteristics of the track and trying to get to grips with the corners, because it was my first driving experience at this circuit. This year I feel more confident and ready to take the fight to the competitors. I am really looking forward to the final WTCC round at such a tricky racetrack. It is likely to be a very special race – the new WTCC cars on a narrow, dangerous city circuit promises a good fight and an action-packed weekend! Keeping the cars alive and pushing hard, the drivers will have to show all their talent to find this balance and the show for the spectators will be unforgettable.”
For more information on LADA Sport WTCC, please visit the official wtcc.lada.ru website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @ladasportwtcc on Twitter.